Rail-contactor.



in eras ran EUGENE C. JOHNSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RAIL-GONTACTOR.

Application filed August 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE G. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful RailContactor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices of the character designed to close an electric circuit automatically by the passing of rolling .stock over therail of a railroad and anobject of the invention is to make provision for reliable operation of the device so that it will not fail to work.

Devices of this character are often used in connection with an electric circuit for operating a signal and itis obvious that such devices should be so constructed that they will be proof against failure to operate.

Another object of this invention is to utilize the downward pressure or movement of the rail for closing the electric circuit.

Another, object of the invention is to pro vide a device of this character of maximum simplicity in order to minimize the liability of its getting out of order and failing to function properly.

Another object isto so construct the device that the interior parts thereof will be readily accessible for inspection and replacement of parts if such inspection or replacement becomes advisable or necessary.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: a

Figure 1 is a planview of a device embodying the invention, portions of the rail and tie being broken away to contract the may be employee One of the rails. of a railroad track is indicated fragmentarily at 1 and one of the ties for supporting said rail is indicated fragmentarily at 2. The present device embodying the invention is located between the tie'2 and the flange v3 ofthe rail and is of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. a, 1911?. Serial No. 114,560.

such construction that the weight of rolling stock running on the rail 1 causes downward pressure of the rail to operate the device to close the electric circuitof which, if desired, the rail may be an element. c

There is provided a box or case comprising an upper member or. cover +1 and a lower member 01' base 5 in telescopic relation with one another. The cover 4: is constructed of electrical conductive material and is in direct electrical contact. with the bottom face of the rail flange 3; and the base 5 rests on the upper face of the tie 2 and is firmly fixed thereto, the base 5 for this purpose being provided with laterally extending flanges 6 having perforations 7 through which are inserted spikes 8 engaging the tie 2. 1

The cover l has a downwardly projecting flange 9 extending around the four sides of the cover, andthe base 5 has an upwardly projecting flange 10 fitting closely inside of the flange 9. around the four sides of the base so as to exclude dirt and water from the i11- terior of the boX. Inside of the box base 5 is an upper electrical contact plate or member 11 which is insulated from the base by an insulation member 12 of any suitable in sulating material. Resting on the base 5 are upwardly projecting longitudinally extending insulation strips 13 and transversely extending insulation strips 1 1, together forming an upwardly projecting insulating flange surrounding the insulation member 12 and the plate 11 and projecting above said plate to form a recess 15 into which extends a downwardly projecting boss forming an upper electrical contact.

plate 16 of the cover l, the sides of said boss closely fitting against and in sliding contact with the inside faces of the insulation strips 13, 1 1, that thus act as insulated guides for the boss. The upper face of the plate 11 and the lower face of the plate 16 are normally held spaced apart from one another by suitable means toform an airgap' a therebetween; and said means in the instance shown comprise springs or spring disks 17 mounted in the four corners of the box on fillers 18 between said fillers and the cover 4 in the space I) surrounding the boss 16. j H

The spacebetween the flange 10 and the top of the cover land between the insula-u tion strips 13, 1% and said top is always slightly greater than the gap a or space be tween the contact plates 11, 16 so that when rolling stock is on the rail and causes the contact plates to engage one another all of the load will come on said contact plates and be supported thereby. If all of the load of the rolling stock is supported by the means relied upon to yieldingly hold the contacts separated, it it obvious that said yielding means will rapidly deteriorate in resiliency 50 that the air gap between the'contacts will become less and less until, in time, said gap is no longer sufficient to keep the circuit open.

The springs 17 may be of any desired strength, forinstance, of. a strength sufficient'to maintain the contacts 19, spaced from one another when the weight of the rolling stock is less than a predetermined maximum and of a strength insuflicient to maintain said contacts spaced from one another when said predetermined weight is ergizable device 25 in the form of a lamp or relay or any device that it is desirable equaled or exceeded; Thus it is clear that the springs 17 can be of sufficient strength to admit of a hand car or inspectors car passing over the rail without the weight of said car operating to close the electric circuit, and of insufiicient strength to admit of" a passenger or freight train passing without the weight of said train causing closing of thecircuit and actuation of any current-energizable device that may be m. said circuit. employed in connection w1th the devlce were If the electric current to be relatively strong, the adjacent faces of the contact plates 11 and 16 could alone be relied upon for forming an electrical contact when sa1d faces are moved 1nto engagement with one another, but to insure that the device operate perfectly when the electric current is relatively weak there is provided on the under face of the plate 16 a supplemental contact 19 of platinum or equivalent adapted to engage, when the cover 1 is depressed for that purpose, a contact 20 at. one end of a resilient member in the form of a leaf spring 21 which is accommodated in-a recess 22 formed in the upper face of the contact plate 11, said leaf spring being firmly fixed on' the plate 11 by rivets or equivalents 23,

As indicated in Fig. 5 the plate-11 is connected by a conductor 24: .to a current-ento energize by electric current when the cover 4c is depressed. The current-energiz- T to-any suitable source of power, indicated "in thls instance as a battery 27, and said able device is connected by a conductor 26 battery in turn is connected by a conductor 28 to therail 1 which, as has been previously stated, is in electrical contact with the 'cover l. I I

- 1 From the foregoing it is clear that in practical operation, rolling stock, not shown, -whenp'assing over the portion ofthe rail adjacent the tie 2, if said rolling stock be not less than the weight determined by the resistance of thesprings 17, will depress or deflect said portion of the rail against the pressure of the springs 17 to bring about engagement of the contacts 19, 20 to close the electric circuit and thereby energize the current-energizab1e .device 25.

It is thus seen that the weight of rolling stock passing over the rail is instrumental. in causing the closing of the electric circuit.

Itis obvious that the conductor 28 may be connected directly to the upper contact plate 16 instead of to the rail if desired;

I claim: 1 a

l. The combination with a rail, of a lower contact plate, aniupper contact plate above the lower contact plate and operative by movement of the rail, and means tending to hold the contact plates apart, said means allowing the contact plates to engage one another and to support the load when rolling stock is on the rail. Y i

2. In combination, a box. comprising a cover and base in telescopic relation with one another, a rail partly resting on the cover, means yieldingly holding the cover in raised position against the pressure of the rail thereon, and means operative by movement of said cover to close an electric circuit. I v.

3. In combination, .a box having two members provided with fianges'interfitting one another, means in the box tending to force said members away from one another, and means operative by relative movement of the members-toward one another to close an electric circuit. 1 i

I 4. In combination, a base, a contact plate insulated from said base, insulation strips surrounding the contact plate and projecting above'the upper surface thereof to form a recess, said strips being spaced from the cover, a cover having'a second contact plate pro ecting into the recess and fitting against the inside faces of said insulation strips, and means tending to force the cover and 'base away from one another.

5. In combination, a base, a contact plate insulated from said base, a cover having a second contact plate, means tending to raise the cover away fromthe base, there being a recess in one of the-contact plates, a leaf spring in the recess of sald contactinsulated from said base, insulation strips surrounding the contact plate and projecting above the upper surface thereof'to form "a recess, a cover having asecond contact plate PIOJBCtlIlg lnto the recess and fitting against't-he inside faces of said insulation strips, means tending to force the cover and base away from one another, there being a recess in one of the contact plates, a leaf spring in the recess of said contact plate, a contact on the other one of said contact plates, and a contact on the leaf spring to engage the contact on the contact plate when the cover is depressed.

7. In combination, a rail, an upper contact plate operative by movement of said rail, a lower contact plate below said upper contact plate, and supplementary contacts for the contact plates adapted when the rail is depressed to engage one another before the contact plates engage one another.

8. The combination with a rail, of a lower electric contact plate, and an upper electric contact plate above and normally spaced from the lower contact plate and operative by movement of the rail to engage the lower contact plate, said lower contact plate alone supporting the load when rolling stock is on the rail.

Signed at Los Angeles, 3d day of August, 1916.

EUGENE C. JOHNSON.

California, this Witnesses:

GEORGE H. HILEs, L. BELLE WEAVER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

